Sunday of the Word of God

On 30 September 2019, Pope Francis made the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time the “Sunday of the Word of God” to underline the importance of the Word of God in the life of the Church and to encourage the reading and study of the Scriptures. This year’s theme is “We proclaim what we have seen”, a guote from the First Letter of St John (1Jn1:3). A booklet has been produced by the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelisation which provides a lot to reflect upon, especially from page 22 onwards, with regards to the Word of God in family and daily life. The Bishops in the USA have also produced five videos with some reflection questions to help deepen our understanding of the Scriptures: Who actually wrote the Bible?, What are the Synoptic Gospels?, What parts of the Bible are also read by our Jewish and Protestant Friends?, How is the Catholic approach to reading the Bible different than other approaches?, and How can I practice the Lectio Divina method of scriptural meditation?.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Friday 27 January is the day for everyone to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. The 27 January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In the UK, thousands of local events and activities take place every year – each one an opportunity for people to reflect on those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination, and hatred in our own society today. On HMD, we all have a role to play to ensure that we learn the lessons of the past, to create a safer, better future.

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is ‘ordinary people’. Through this theme, we are invited to think about all the millions of ordinary victims of Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides. We are also prompted to think about how easy it is for ‘ordinary people’ to become perpetrators. In this light, today ordinary people must be alert to the dangers of antisemitism, racism and intolerance, and strive to combat the evil of genocide in our world. The Council of Christians and Jews has produced a useful resource to help observe this day.

Prayer for Christian Unity

The children of St John’s School will be leading a Service of Prayer for Christian Unity in the school hall this Friday 27 January at 10.00am. Everyone is invited to come along to take part in the Service and to stay for refreshments afterwards.

Craft Club

Would any craft-minded parishioners like to meet together for a coffee and start a monthly afternoon club to work on ideas for the Parish Summer Fete? If you are interested, please contact Christine Pickford for further details on 07778 641008.

Soup Lunch

The Soroptimists invite you to a Soup Lunch this Friday, 27 January, from 12noon- 1.30pm, in the St George’s Extension, Tiverton. Come and enjoy a warm space, good company and hot soup!

Stay Awake!

‘Stay Awake’ is taking place for the fifth year on Saturday 11 March 2023 at All Saints Church of England Academy, Weymouth, 10.00am-7.00pm. Please come and bring your friends and neighbours to an inspirational day of growing closer to Jesus. There will be Mass, Praise and Worship, Kids’ activities, Fellowship, Workshops, a Prayer Room and Pizza in the evening for dinner. Tickets are FREE for those in Year 9 and under and only £10 for everyone else! Please see www.stayawakejc.com for more information and to book tickets! 

Stay Awake has been described as “Such an inspiring, fruitful and enjoyable day!” “Glorious!”, “Such a joy!”, “Encouraging!”, “Awesome!”, “It was wonderful to see God’s love in action!” “I offered to leave at lunch time but neither of the children wanted to!” 

Flame 2023 – Special Invitation to our Young People

Anyone 14-21 years of age is invited to join our parish trip to Flame (https://cymfed.org.uk/flame/) at Wembley Stadium, London, on Saturday 4 March 2023. Flame is the largest Catholic gathering in England and Wales. Transport is from Cullompton on a coach so almost door to door!  If parents want to know a bit more, please talk to Elaine Kelly, Siobhan Gilroy or Eduarda Santos as they have all been before.  It’s such a great day out that the parish would like to treat our youngsters to this experience, so there is no cost to the individual.  To get on the coach we need to book tickets now with the diocesan coordinator as there is a limited number on the group transport, so please give your name to the Parish Office as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  Siobhan Gilroy will be leading our parish group.

LOUDfence in the Diocese of Plymouth – Advance Notice

The Diocese will be holding a LOUDfence at Christ the King Church in Plymouth from Wednesday 15 February to Friday 17 February.  A LOUDfence is a visible display of support and solidarity with those who have been affected by abuse.  Attendees are encouraged to tie ribbons around a fence which could also include a message of support.  We want survivors to know that we hear you, we believe you and that we are here to support you. We hope you can join us. More details to follow soon.

Annual Collection for the Society of St Vincent de Paul

This weekend we are holding our annual retiring collection to support the work of our parish Conference of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) in its mission of supporting the sick, elderly and marginalised in our local community. If you would like to know more about the work of the SVP and consider becoming a member, please have a word with Simon Coombs.